Pages

Friday, October 19, 2007

Many of you know that last June our beloved New Cat died suddenly, most likely from a poisonous snake bite. And while my heart still aches for him, no one was more brokenhearted by New Cat's death than J2, who was his constant companion. I've never known two cats who were better friends. The two of them lived together in The Cat Cabin, and each night they curled up on their pink wool bed.

It was over a week after New Cat's death before I finally saw J2 come out of The Cat Cabin, and I was worried about him. In this June 16th update I wrote:

I explained to J2 that I understand how lonely he is and assured him that a new feline friend would be bunking with him soon. I have no doubt that another cat in need of a home will find us. They always do.

In the meantime, the height of snake season is not when you want to bring a new cat onto a farm. Enter Patchy Cat. Leave it to our efficient Farm Boss to spot not only a fellow feline in desperate need of a pal, but an available spot on a cozy wool bed as well. In seven years, The Cat Cabin is about the only place on the farm I hadn't ever seen Patchy Cat. J2 is thrilled that he's moved in.

14 comments:

Hooray for the new companionship! really nicer to have familiar faces take new roles - cats have such complicted social structures - all that hissing and "marking" and such - but it works - WTG Patchy! Didn't comment on dancing dandy dan the donkey - doing his special break dance for your camera - but it definitely was a hoot!

Yay for Patchy Cat--this post makes me so happy and hopeful. Your stories about your farm and all your animals are so full of wonderful life and heart, it is so clear why you love being a "farmgirl." :)

Somehow cats manage to find a good balance again in their mysterious social network, don't they? Patchy Cat probably never would have taken up residence there before but now the time is right. J2 can now have a cuddle companion and just in time for the colder months too. Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage

Oh cool. So great how animals just do their thing and it all seems to fit together. Maybe Patchy didn't care for New cat but obviously feels he can room with J2. Aren't they just crazy?

Glad to see more animal pics lately, missing all the updates on the critters and having to catch up in great big chunks as so, so busy round here. Hope all is well, will be sending you a package soon. XX

Hi Linda Sue,You're right--cats certainly do have complicated social structures. One of the neatest things about having oodles of cats when I lived at Windridge Farm (the place came with 7 fertile felines it took me months to get near enough to take to the vet to get fixed--they multipled almost as fast as rabbits!) was seeing how they interacted with each other. They had this whole hierarchy, and of course each of them tried to carve out their own little space. We had lots of acreage but prime real estate was near the house (read: food supply). One cat was named Roof Kitty because she claimed, and lived on, the roof! : )

Hi Catty Ax Lady,I was so surprised to see Patchy Cat's face staring out at me from the cat cabin, but I really shouldn't have been. That guy is always on top of everything that's going on around here. : )

Hi C(h)ristine,The best part about being a farmgirl is definitely being surrounded by all these wonderful animals. Just this evening I was crouched down hugging and snuggling one of my favorite sheep, Lucky Cherry, who should have been named Snugglebunny since she demands so much attention, but that's the name of her mother!

Since we sheared the sheep 4 months earlier than usual this year, they're already super wooly, and they look like big stuffed toys. They're so cute and cuddly and impossible to resist! : )

Hi Dallas Meow,How sad that you love cats so much but can't be around them. I can understand why your heart is broken! I'll certainly snuggle them for you. : )

Hi Renee,I made your day twice in one week? How neat is that? Yes, J2 needed a happy ending, but I don't think this is quite the very end of the story. I mean, he's glad to have Patchy Cat's company, but. . . I guess they aren't quite the totally perfect pals I'd assumed they were. Tonight I was in the garden picking spinach and kept hearing this low howling sound coming from the direction of The Cat Cabin.

Bear and I marched over there and I saw J2 cowering against the wall, wide-eyed and staring up at a not-so-happy looking Patchy Cat! I couldn't believe it. But of course Patchy Cat is used to being in charge of everything, so I suppose he now assumes he's king of The Cat Cabin. I went in and pet J2, and he seemed fine after a little bit. And when I checked on them a few minutes later he was still sitting just a foot or two from Patchy Cat, so I guess everything was okay.

I suppose boys will be boys, but it sure didn't look like they were playing. ; )

J2 is about the most wonderful dadcat you'll ever meet (oh, how he adored his daughter and son, Pickles and Onions) which is why I think he and New Cat got along so well, because New Cat was just a young little guy when he arrived here and J2 took him under his wing. Tonight he kept giving me this look like, "Okay, I'm ready for my new kitten anytime now." I can tell J2 likes Patchy Cat's company, but he definitely isn't the kind of bosom buddy that New Cat was. I know J2 will be thrilled when a little companion makes its way to the farm. Plus Patchy Cat isn't always around like New Cat was, since he has all his Farm Boss duties to tend to. : )

Hi EMWK,So are we! Well, mostly, LOL (see above).

Hi Cindy,It really was odd how none of the other cats ever went into The Cat Cabin with J2 and New Cat. I mean, it's a great place with plenty of room, but I guess those boys had claimed it as their own. I was so surprised to see that Patchy Cat had moved in, though it does make perfect sense. What's really interesting is that he has also taken to lounging on the soft top of my baby SUV, which is where New Cat and J2 used to hang out together for hours (you can get there from The Cat Cabin without having to jump down to dog level which is very important!). I haven't seen J2 up there since New Cat died, but I'm hoping that he'll go over and join Patchy Cat one day soon.

Hi Katia,Thanks so much!

Hi Mary,It's always so sad to lose a cat friend--they do work their way into our hearts, don't they? I'm sorry to hear of your loss.

Hi B,The animals definitely all do their thing--and work everything out in the end, or at least most of the time, LOL.

January 2013 update: I know word verification is a big pain, but it's the only way I can stop the ridiculous number of anonymous spam comments I get every day. I don't want to require commenters to be registered Blogger or Open ID users because I know many of you aren't. Thanks so much for your understanding!

Hi! Thanks for visiting Farmgirl Fare and taking the time to write. While I'm not always able to reply to every comment, I receive and enjoy reading them all.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and I especially love hearing about your experiences with my recipes. Comments on older posts are always welcome!

Please note that I moderate comments, so if I'm away from the computer it may be a while before yours appears.

I try my best to answer all questions, though sometimes it takes me a few days. And sometimes, I'm sorry to say, they fall through the cracks, and for that I sincerely apologize.

If you're waiting for a reply to your comment and have a Blogger profile (it's free to create one) you can check the NOTIFY ME box that is below and receive all follow up comments to just this specific post via email.

I look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy your e-visits to our farm!